There are many different reasons why health-conscious individuals consume yogurt on a regular basis. Some like to have their bodies supplied with muscle-building protein, while others love to ensure that they are getting enough bone-strengthening calcium.
However, it’s undeniable that most people include yogurt in their everyday diet to make sure that the population of those friendly bacteria in their gut stays optimal.
But if your primary goal is to maintain friendly bacteria in your intestines, you might want to consider taking probiotic capsules instead. Definitely, these capsules cannot replace yogurt, but they do have benefits to offer, and some of them you can find below.
One of the many perks to enjoy for taking probiotic capsules is they actually contain beneficial bacteria. Did you know that not all yogurts available at your favorite supermarket supply your gut with those helpful microbes?
If you cannot spot the words “contains live bacteria” on the packaging of your favorite yogurt, then it won’t help boost the number of friendly bacteria in your gut. When shopping for yogurt, you have to carefully read labels to ensure that you will pay for the one you need.
On the other hand, probiotic capsules do contain real friendly gut bacteria. In fact, their label will even tell you which strains are present in every capsule, and how much of them are around.
Yes, there are actually different strains of beneficial microorganisms that should be constantly introduced to your gut. In contrast, many yogurts that actually contain good bacteria only yield a couple of strains. Manufacturers of probiotic capsules usually include many different ones.
Most probiotic capsules also contain prebiotics. No, that’s not a typographical error — the word is really spelled that way! There’s probiotics and the n there’s prebiotics — they are two entirely different things.
Put simply, probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that your intestines need. On the other hand, prebiotics are some sort of food for those probiotics, helping them to stay alive so that they can multiply. Typically, yogurts do not contain prebiotics. Many probiotic capsules, in contrast, have them.
Are you trying to lose excess pounds or maintain your current ideal weight? Then opting for probiotic capsules may be a smart step to take.
That’s because probiotic capsules do not contain sugar that is commonly found in majority of yogurts these days, in particular those that come with fancy flavors. However, there are also yogurts that are meant for weight-watchers as they contain less sugar, and thus they are lower in calories.
Unfortunately, probiotic capsules are incapable of providing some of the benefits of yogurt — these capsules do not contain anything else but good bacteria, and sometimes prebiotics, too.
It’s something that can be disadvantageous for you if you are trying to lose weight because protein in yogurt is great for building muscles. The more muscles you have, the faster your metabolism runs. And the faster your metabolism runs, the more unwanted calories you burn.
Yogurt is also very satisfying, thanks to its protein and fat content. By consuming yogurt, you may be able to easily fend off hunger pangs and excessive eating.
Besides, yogurt also supplies a bunch of other nutrients that your body needs. Some of them include calcium, magnesium, potassium and B vitamins. Of course there’s protein in yogurt, just like what’s already mentioned.
But then again, not everyone can consume yogurt — someone who has lactose intolerance simply cannot include this healthy treat to his or her diet on a regular basis. On the other hand, he or she is not going to experience any unfavorable symptoms related to lactose intolerance when taking probiotic capsules.
Clearly, the right one for you will depend on your particular needs. Yogurt and probiotic capsules have their own set of pros and cons that needs to be taken into account.
